Could you look at DD's proposed statement please...

[Galena]

and rip it to shreds offer constructive criticism as necessary?

Background, DD is 3.7 and has mild CP. She struggles to stay at playgroup without me as she feels so vulnerable. LA have agreed to 15 hours 1-1 support at preschool (the whole time she is there) without a quibble. I need to return the draft statement within 15 days while we are away for Christmas, so would like as much input as possible from you knowledgeable folk...

I assume Section 3 is the key bit... So I will copy it out in the next message. Sorry, it's long!

make sure it does not have any of the following

"the school should"
"would benefit from"
"school can use the funding flexibly to provide"

Look at this guide to helping you check it.

Objective:

1. to be able to access activities and achieve to the best of her ability within the Foundation stage curriculum at preschool and as she moves into school. Provision:

• DD should have access to all the activities, including trips and extra-curricular activities that her peers engage in, with reasonable adjustments made to allow her to be included. Equipment needs to be placed within reach for DD.
• DD's seating may need consideration to ensure she is safe and comfortable. If a specialised seat is not used then she may benefit from the use of a step so that her feet are supported. Specific advice should be sought regarding appropriate equipment as DD moves into school. When seated on the floor, DD requires additional space and time in order to get herself into a standing position.
• Preschool to have in place appropriate risk assessments, e.g. manual handling and a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
• Forward planning needed for off-site activities, e.g. to take account of access arrangements.

Objective:
2a) To separate from her mother at the start of the session.
Provision:

• DD needs support from a constant, familiar adult at playgroup in order that she is able to feel safe and secure and be able to separate from her mother. A carefully planned programme of mother's withdrawal needs to continue at a pace that is manageable to DD.
• DD might benefit from keeping hold of a small item, such as a handkerchief, belonging to mother, in order to provide her with reassurance.

Objective:
2b) To develop appropriate relationships with peers.
Provision:

• DD needs planned opportunities to work and play with one or two other children. When at school, supervision at breaktimes and lunchtimes will need to be planned to ensure that DD's social interactions are not impaired by the constant presence of an adult.

Objective:
2c) To make a successful transition into school.
Provision:

• There will need to be close liaison between staff at DD's playgroup and her school once her school place is confirmed in order to plan her transition into school. A key person should be identified in order that DD can start to make a relationship before her start at school.

Objective:
3a) To be safe when moving around her learning environment.
Provision:
DD requires supervision when negotiating stairs, steps or slopes to ensure her safety. This is especially important when there are other pupils around her. An audit of the physical environment should be carried out before DD's transition to school and adaptations made as necessary. There will need to be carefully considered emergency exit to cover the extent of an emergency situation happening at school.

Objective:
3b) To continue to develop her gross motor skills.
Provision:
Continued targeted support for fine and gross motor skills development and ensure safe access to the curriculum as appropriate. This should be reviewed regularly and include opportunities to promote independence.

Objective:
3c) To develop skills and strategies for increasing independence with dressing and using the toilet.
Provision:
DD currently needs reminding to go to the toilet and has accidents as do many children of her age. However, she also requires help to get on and off the toilet as well as currently using a toddler seat to help to maintain her balance. DD requires support with dressing and undressing as well as a focus on helping her to increase her independence in this area.

Objective:
3d) To manage her splints and equipment with increasing independence.
Provision:
DD will already remove her splints if they become uncomfortable. Currently an adult will need to take responsibility for these. As DD grows older, she will need to take increasing responsibility for wearing these and taking them on and off as appropriate. If a step is used to aid DD when sitting on a chair then someone will need to ensure that she has this wherever she is sitting in the room. DD will need to gradually learn to take responsibility for this.

-Continued support from the Advisory Teaching Service: Physical Disabilities Team
-Staff to attend Advisory Teaching Service training as appropriate, e.g. Teaching and learning for CYP with CP.
-Continued support from health and other professionals as appropriate.

Jeez, well done if you get through that lot without falling asleep! Sorry, it turned out REALLY long!

Shoud, access, may all very woolly words need changing to will, must and be firmer in wording. What suport exactly will she be getting, how often and by whom - this needs to be clear.

I've just realised I missed the chunk that said that 'the LA will provide the pre-school setting with funding to enable them to provide DD with 1:1 support from a Learning Support Worker to provide care and supervision for up to 15 hours per week.'

She is only there 15 hours per week, so it's basically a full-time 1:1 LSW for her.

What qualifications will that learning support worker have?

Oooh, I don't know! A good question...

Part 2 is also well worth looking at as well; both that and Part 3 are the most important parts of this whole document so they do need to be bang on.

Part 3 I am sorry to say is far too vaguer and woolly worded; support needs to be both specified and quantified. Few too many "should have acceess" in there as well. It needs to say "(name of your DD) WILL have access to..."

Its also welll worth running Parts 2 and 3 past an independent organisation like IPSEA or SOSSEN. They will give you ideas too as to what it should say.

Bearing in mind such a document will be re-written at the end of Year 2, the fundamental wording of this document needs to be correct now.

Well done on getting 1:1 support written in! That was my battle for my DS statement.
You could add '1:1 support from a suitably qualified teaching assistant.
Do you need O.T input, Physio, speech? If so that needs to be included and quantified.
Try calling IPSEA they are very helpful on this.

agree with attila. If it were mine I would like to see that the 1:1 will increase from september if they are talking about transition plans already, you should have a review in 6 months time but that leaves time short if you need to appeal before the start of the school year. Did physio/OT make any recommendations? Dd3's has her physio and OT in hers and that they will be the ones asked for advice and asked to provide targets she can work towards. There's also a bit about all future equipment being provided when advised by (relevant professional) which has proved useful. Dd3's also mentions a care plan that must be followed and who it's to be written by, covers toileting, eating, illness etc. Are you happy with the lunch and break comment, will your dd be safe enough with no adult around and lots of children running about?

Galena well done for getting a statement - now you just have to get it right

I endorse what has been advised already. Also I am a little suspicious of the wording 'up to 15 hours'. Will there be an LSA specifically employed for DD or are they hoping that the 1:1 will be able to be drastically reduced if DD's separation anxiety lessens and therefore meeting the requirement with existing staff?

The 'up to 15 hours' they will say is to allow the setting flexibility in how they actually spend the cash. You don't care who funds it, you really need it to say 'will receive 15 hours 1:1 support from a qualified LSW.' In our LA, qualified means NVQ level 2 or equivalent or up to 5 years experience. As it doesn't state 'qualified' no qualification is required. It's tricky, because a suitable match is actually more important than the qualification, but both would be even better. Agree with everyone else re weasel words, should, may, access to etc. Replace all these with must and will receive, etc. They just try it on! And getting it just before Christmas! It's always a few days before the end of term, somehow.

There is a bit about 'The preschool is required to call a review, to include the parents and the professionals involved, to discuss the support requirements from the beginning of Term 1 i.e. Monday 3rd September 2013 and from this make recommendations to the LA for consideration,by the beginning of June 2013 at the very latest.'

so it sounds to my untutored ear that they are leaving the support for Sept open-ended to see what support she needs. By then we'll know whether or not she will have had SDR when she starts school, meaning she needs a huge amount of support including physio, or not. At the moment there is no physio or anything else which needs to be done.

I'm not sure about the berak and lunchtime bit - she needs to be watched, however I don't want an adult stuck to her like glue the whole time. I'd like to start with her having pretty much constant supervision at break/lunch times, moving to more distant support, as it becomes more clear how she copes. Can I put something like 'When at school, supervision at breaktimes and lunchtimes will need to be planned in collaboration with the parents to ensure that DD's blah blah blah'? So that they have to talk to us about what they are doing?

We are just starting this process for DD (12 weeks post SDR) in the moment in preschool she has full time 1:1. However, the 1:1 isn't with her unless she needs help to manage something, specially toilettting. But it is still her 1:1 person.
When she moves up next year she will have full time 1:1 again because although she doesn't need social support someone needs to be on hand specifically to help her get on and off, clothes etc.
As has been said before it is all too vague. DD should have access to trips ... No, she WILL have access and be properly supported, without the need for parental involvement. I would want people named eg seating needs to be assessed by OT
Also if she does not have 1:1 at all times I would want a named person as her fire support person at all times of the day (people have breaks etc) It is then their job is ensure she is evacuated safely.
Another bit that jumps out at me is 3b I would have thought they need physio input for advice on how to do this.

There are lots of bits to make sure that there is no wriggle room for the school/ lea

So X will participate in all the acticvities - (not have access to)
An assesment of X's seating arrangements willl be carried out by XX who has Y qualification and will be reviewed at leas t annually
DD will have support ( not needs support) from a familiar.....
a carefully designed programme will continue at a pace....
The school will plan opportunities to work and play...
DD will be provided with help to use the toilet ( not she needs help)

etc.etc all through the document

Can you see what I am doint here? I am changing all the ways people could wriggle out of providing the support - so the school could say DD had access t o but didn't attend trips.
They could say - well she may benifit from an assesment of her seating, but we haven't got around to doing it etc.
You need to consider how each of those sentances could be willfully miscontrued if someone decided not to provide each point in the statemnt.

If you get hold of a copy of the SEN toolkit, (soon obsolete) it actually states that LAs can use words like 'should have access to...' to give them some flexibility in their provision.

www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES-0558-2001-2.pdf

Around about page 100 - 105 or so.

Thanks... Will look.